The present invention relates to electrostatic motors, and more specifically a motor geometry that allows for taking full advantage of the electric force vector created between adjacent stator poles for high efficiency.
A principle related to the conversion of the electrical power into mechanical power via a motor is a known concept. So far, the existing principles have not demonstrated a useful efficiency (not even in theory) because the geometry of the different parts simply does not allow for fully taking advantage of all the electric force created by the xe2x80x9cpolesxe2x80x9d. Moreover, the existing principles show serious disadvantages whenever using collector devices, on the other hand they require an external control to produce a required specific sequence scheme of source supply voltages. The existing electrostatic motors barely work and practically develop no torque, hardly what it needs to overcome the ball bearings and/or air friction.
Until now, the only missing factor is an adequate motor (stator and rotor) geometry that allows for taking a full advantage of the force vector of the electric field since it is the only way to get a theoretical efficiency of 100%. It is also required to solve the problem of collector devices, to eliminate the controls, and to decrease as much as possible the source supply voltages while keeping an optimum efficiency.
It is therefore general object of the present invention to provide an electrostatic motor that obviates the above noted disadvantages.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrostatic motor that easily reaches an efficiency of 75%, in the same order of magnitude that of any standard motor that uses the driving magnetic power.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an electrostatic motor that eliminates the use of collector devices.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrostatic motor with a geometry that can be used for either linear or rotary motors using the electrical (electrostatic) power.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an electrostatic motor with a geometry that can be used for either direct of multi-phase alternating voltage supply.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an electrostatic motor with a geometry that applies to any motor power and size.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an electrostatic motor that is very light in weight for a specific output torque and/or power, compared to standard motors.
There is also the rotor cylinder, because of the optimum geometry, that has an unoccupied internal portion which can be used. A motor in the shape of a ring which inside section consists of blades forming a xe2x80x9cturbinexe2x80x9d for ventilation or propulsion can easily be built. In this way, no support or motor blocks the fluid intake or the fluid outlet.
According to the present invention, the use of the electrostatic motor along with the three-phase voltage supply principles would be an asset to the industry for many reasons. First, they require a lower voltage ratio of the transmission voltages over those needed, as opposed to conventional motors, since they operate at high voltage. Buying high voltage electricity is less expensive and overall losses are reduced. Smaller or even no transformers are required. The electrostatic motors of the present invention could easily be directly connected to a three-phase 25 kV voltage line.
Another important advantage for the industry is that the present motor partially operates as a capacitive load, as opposed to the conventional motor that partially operates as an inductive load. So, rather than balancing the power factor by actually connecting capacitors to the main power source distribution of a factory, for example, this could simply be done by connecting one of the present capacitive motor instead, taking further advantage of a useful load at the same time; thereby counterbalancing the inductive effect of the conventional motors.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided herein, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.
According to the present invention, there is provided an electrostatic motor device comprising:
a stator member including a plurality of pole members circumferentially equally spaced apart around an inner surface of an electrically insulating hollowed outer cylinder, each pole member includes a plurality of inwardly radially protruding and equally spaced apart electrically conductive elongated teeth along an axial direction of said hollowed cylinder, all teeth of a same pole member being electrically connected to each other at their respective radial outermost extremity by an axial stator conductor member, every one of said stator conductor members being alternately electrically connected together to corresponding ones of said stator conductor members to form at least two electrically isolated alternating groups, each of said groups being adapted for electrically connecting to a different polarity of a voltage source, said teeth of said stator pole members being fully covered with an insulating coat material except for their respective base region in proximity of said inner surface of said outer cylinder;
a rotor member including a plurality of pole members circumferentially equally spaced a part around an outer surface of an electrically insulating inner cylinder rotatably supported to and coaxial to said outer cylinder, each pole member includes a plurality of outwardly radially protruding and equally spaced apart electrically conductive elongated teeth along said axial direction, said teeth of said stator pole members being adapted to have corresponding teeth of said rotor pole members freely moving therebetween; and
a shaft member secured to said rotor member and coaxial to both said cylinders; said shaft member rotating along with said rotor member upon application of said voltage source to said stator pole members.
Preferably, each of said teeth of both said stator and rotor pole members are substantially cylindrical in shape.
Preferably, the distance between two adjacent of said teeth of said stator pole members is substantially sized slightly larger than one of said teeth of said rotor pole members thereby ensuring no physical contact between corresponding stator and rotor teeth during rotation of said rotor member.
Preferably, the voltage source is a constant voltage source, said stator member has an even number of pole members with every second of said stator conductor members alternately electrically connected together to form two alternating groups, each of said groups being adapted for electrically connecting to a different polarity of said constant voltage source, thereby creating constant electric fields between two adjacent stator pole members, said teeth of said rotor pole members being simultaneously charged via electric sparks when getting in close proximity to a respective one of said stator pole members and being displaced towards an adjacent of said stator pole members under said constant electric field.
Preferably, the rotor member has an odd number of pole members.
Preferably, the teeth of said rotor pole members are also fully covered with said insulating coat material except for their respective tip region moving closely to said base region of said teeth of stator pole members, thereby forcing said electric sparks to occur between respective uncovered regions.
Preferably, the outer cylinder includes two electrically conductive ring members each interconnecting one of said groups of said stator conductor members to a respective polarity of said constant voltage source, and the ring members are each located at a respective axial extremity of said outer cylinder.
Alternatively, the voltage source is an alternating three-phase voltage source, said stator member having a plurality of trio of pole members, every third of said stator pole members being alternately electrically connected together to form three alternating groups, each of said groups being adapted for electrically connecting to a different phase of said three-phase voltage source, thereby creating an electric field rotating around said axial direction between said stator pole members, said rotor member having at least one corresponding pair of pole members for each said trio of stator pole members, said teeth of said rotor pole members being simultaneously charged via electric sparks when getting in close proximity to a respective one of said stator pole members and being displaced towards an adjacent of said stator pole members under said rotating electric field, said electric sparks occurring at a frequency that gradually decreases until said rotor member reaches the rotating speed of said rotating electric field, thereby said electric motor device being an asynchronous type motor.
Preferably, the rotor member has only one corresponding pair of pole members for each said trio of stator pole members.
Alternatively, the voltage source is an alternating three-phase voltage source, said stator member having a plurality of trio of pole members, every third of said stator pole members being alternatively electrically connected together to form three alternating groups, each of said groups being adapted for electrically connecting to a different phase of said three-phase voltage source, thereby creating an electric field rotating around said axial direction between said stator pole members, said rotor member having at least one corresponding pair of pole members for each said trio of stator pole members, all teeth of a same rotor pole member being electrically connected to the others at their respective radial innermost extremity by an axial rotor conductor member, every second of said rotor conductor members being alternately electrically connected together to form two electrically isolated alternating sets, said sets being adapted for eletrically connecting to a positive and a negative polarities of a constant voltage source respectively thus getting electrically charged, said charged rotor pole members being displaced towards a respective adjacent of said stator pole members under said rotating electric field after said rotor member has been given same rotating speed as of said rotating electric field, thereby said electric motor device being a synchronous type of motor.
Preferably, the rotor member has only one corresponding pair of pole members for each said trio of stator pole members.
Preferably, the outer cylinder includes three electrically conductive stator ring members each interconnecting one of said groups of said stator conductor members to a respective phase of said three-phase voltage source, said inner cylinder includes two electrically conductive rotor ring members each interconnecting one of said sets of said rotor conductor members to a respective polarity of said constant voltage source.
Preferably, two of said stator ring members are each located at a respective axial extremity of said outer cylinder, the third stator ring member is equally spaced apart from and inbetween the other two stator ring members, said rotor ring members are each located at a respective axial extremity of said inner cylinder.
Preferably, all teeth of said pole members of both said stator and rotor members being fully covered with an insulating coat material to ensure no electric spark occur between teeth of adjacent stator and rotor pole members.